Oral Antibiotic
Efficacy
56%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Should never be used on its own and for a maximum of 3 months.
Oral Antibiotic
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Antibiotics should be used for a maximum of 3 months, provide only moderate benefit and only to some people, and may lead to side effects and strains of resistant bacteria. Studies do show doxycycline can reduce severe acne in the short term, and as far as oral antibiotics are concerned, it’s usually the go-to, but approach with caution and stay your own advocate.
Oral Antibiotic
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Doxycycline? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
July 10, 2014
Antibiotics are the devil and set me up for an acne disaster. Go natural to get clear!
I've struggled with moderate acne off and on for years. I've tried everything - proactiv (worked for a few years), laser treatments, chemical peels, minocycline, doxycycline, basically I've been around the acne/skin care block! I have an old review that is fairly positive on doxy. It worked. I cleared up. My skin got worse and then I started taking a double dose. I was on antiobiotics fairly daily for about two years and I was fairly pleased with the results.
Then I got pregnant. And I wasn't able to take doxy anymore.
Skin was great until my third trimester when I started getting bumps all over my chin and down my neck. I was reacting to everything I put on my skin. The doctors said it would get better once the baby was born. It didn't. It got a MILLION TIMES WORSE. I developed dozens of painful cystic/almost rash like acne all around my mouth and all over my chin. It was attributable to breastfeeding hormones. For pictures check out [link removed].
I've now cleared up my skin by ditching the antiobiotics completely (my doctor put me on tetracycline for the latest blow up but I couldn't fill the prescription), and going the natural and holistic route. Candida cleanses and anti-fungals are my new best friend and after a few months of clean eating, a few week long candida cleanses, taking fermented cod liver oil and drinking fresh milk kefir like it's going out of style, I have beautiful, glowing skin with minimal breakouts. As I have the best skin when I'm limiting my sugar intake and doing full blown candida cleanses, I'm convinced antibiotics destroyed all of my good gut bacteria that yeast and my hormones/liver started wreaking havoc on my skin. Please, throw out the doxy and find a naturopath to help heal your gut and get some good bacteria growing. You will not regret it. It isn't an easy fix going the natural/diet and skincare route, but it will give you beautiful skin in the long run and help you gain control over your skin and life. Heal yourself from the inside.
June 17, 2014
You people are idiots and screw up the ratings on this product
seriously do any of you have an education at all? or do any basic research on yourself? If you take ANY antibotic for years, even months your body will build immunity to it. You body will build immunity to almost everything. Antibiotics are NOT meant to be taken for months let alone years for this reason. If you acne that won't clear up within weeks on an antibiotic you should stop taking them and change your diet etc. but odds are most are too lazy and looking for an easier solution.
June 14, 2014
Seemed to be working but made me puke like crazy
I developed a skin infection after getting a sunburn from using a terrible moisturizing lotion. I already had some acne, I scratched too much at the sunburn, and wham. I got a huge line of gross pustules running up the left side of my face. I was supposed to take Doxycycline for 10 days until it cleared, but I could only take it for seven due to the extreme nausea it gave me. The first night, I spent about eight hours puking over the toilet. The rest of the week, I didn't puke but my stomach still felt awful. I tried to stick with it because it was really clearing the infection and some of my acne. Too bad I couldn't finish it and the infection came back. If this doesn't make you sick, I think it'll work for you since it's pretty strong.
January 21, 2014
Doxycycline antibiotics
Cons:
Made my skin dry and scaly for about a week and a half (couldn't even wear makeup as it would just flake)
Didn't work for me
Spent money on face cream and pills that I still have left over
Have had mild-severe acne for about a year now. Went to a dermatologist who got my taking doxycycline tablets twice a day (as well as face cream) and told me to come back in a month if I hadn't noticed any changes. Face was dry/scaly for about a week and a half. After a month of taking them I noticed no changes. Not only did I have the same red scaring dots, I was still getting bumbs on my face (acne). So for me personally it did not work as I think they were not strong enough. He has now put me on Bactrim and Epiduo gel. Hopefully that works.
January 21, 2014
Cleared up Acne but it came back
Pros:
clears up face
Cons:
acne comes back
causes nausea
I've had severe acne from the time I was 16. I took doxcycline (2x a day first month) around the beginning of my junior year in high school along with two topical creams benzoyl peroxide (in the morning) and adapalene (at night) (I don't remember the concentration of either of them. Within 2 and 1/2 months my skin with clear. So I, being young and dumb and hate taking my med, cut my prescription by a month and a half. I was suppose to be taking doxy for a total of four months. Within 3 months of getting off it my acne came back, but just moderately.
Six months off doxycycline my acne became moderately severe. It's been about two years and I'm starting doxcycline again along with epiduo. Hopefully the good results will happen again.
My best advice is to used it directly as prescribed and do definitely take it with food.
January 8, 2014
Not the miracle product I was looking for
Pros:
No side effects
No big cysts anymore
Cons:
Still a lot of bumps, closed comedons and open comedons.
My skin became a little more red.
My doctor prescribed me 100mg/dag. After 1 month there was a little improvement, so I decided to keep taking it for another 1/2 months to see whether it keeps improving. In the end I can say it has helped a little. I don't get big cysts anymore, but my face is still full of bumps and closed and open comedons. It wasn't really worth it for me unfortunately:( I didn't experience any side effects by the way, which is a good thing offcourse.
December 17, 2013
Works very well with patience, but cannot use forever
Pros:
It clears skin up well for a couple months
Inexpensive
Cons:
You must take this with some food in your stomach!
It will not put acne in its grave. It will eventually come back
Takes time
During the end of summer 2012 I had really started to break out. I was 19 and just about to start college; I didn't want to scare any ladies away so I started using face washes and other stuff but none of it worked too well. I went to my doctor in October 2012 and he gave me epiduo with doxycycline. I was told to take twice a day for a couple months. At first, my face seemed to have gotten worse but after about 6 weeks I started to notice that my face was really starting to clear up. By the end of January, my face was clear and smooth. Once my prescription ran out, I kept using the epiduo and went back to using face washes to prevent any more acne from sprouting. I had clear skin for about 8 months until I started noticing breakouts again. Even with daily cleaning and epiduo, I had started to get acne as bad as the first time. Basically, the stuff works well but it lacks longevity.
December 16, 2013
Barely works
Cons:
not effective
kills good bacteria in stomach and digestive system
NOT a long term option
Doxycycline did not do much for my acne at all. I noticed no increase in the severity of my acne after coming off this antibiotic. Also, antibiotics wreak havoc on your digestive system causing a whole range of other problems.
December 4, 2013
Product used: Oracea (Oral Antibiotic)
Does not work for cystic acne
Cons:
Expensive
Not good for cystic acne
I was put on oracea for cystic acne. I took 40mg every day for 3 months and it didn't do a thing to help.
November 7, 2013
Is it workinnnng ?
Pros:
Clears up some acne
Redness lessens
Cheap!
Cons:
Very slow-working
Have to be consistent...
It's an okay product. I have a horrible habit of picking (need to break it) which throws off the results of the medicine, obviously. It sort of works when I completely leave skin alone, but it doesn't work wonders. It takes foreeverrrr to kick in, and its not a miracle product. I've heard its supposed to work on body acne, but I have seen no results.
Pros:
Affordable